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October 19th, 2011

Discussion Minutes for October 19th,2011

I. Roll Call

· Nicole

II. Forum Special Session

· NameChange Forum (North Ballroom)

· GaryPierson-Vice president of student affairs, I want to thank you for coming heretonight and I want to let you know where we are in the conversation of a namechange. If you have any questions you can ask Jay, Teddy, or me. Our goal is toeducate and to inform you. So the process I want to let you know where westarted, Tome bur graph Brad Baca, and Jessica Young started out withconversations of how we could propel Western into the next 100 years. Alligatorsare things we deal with on a regular basis, and the spaceship is that we needto prepare for the future. The whole idea of a name change came from aninitiative of what we can do for Western State College of Colorado we went tothe board of trustees, who are ultimately going to make a decision of the namechange, on September 16th of the idea of a name change, to start adiscussion, our next step was to reach out top faculty and staff to bring outwhat were considering to get information back from campus constants, not onlyabout a name change but about other initiatives we can do to help retainstudents, maybe getting more graduate programs, benefits for faculty and staff.This discussion has been motivating because it has gotten faculty participationand randomly assigns tables to those who may not know each other. We think thisis a positive thing because of the input we getting. I can talk more aboutthese initiatives. With student input we had 2 prior meetings, two open forums,and unfortunately 7 students total at both forums. There will be another openforum next Tuesday October 26th. Tanya van he sent out emails toalumni and 82% were in favor of a change, interest of keeping Western andState. Mayors from different communities are in favor of these changes. We aregoing to the board of trustees, at an open public meeting, meeting in theAspinall Wilson center to let them know what they have heard from faculty andstaff, Friday October 28th. Sarah Newberry sits on this board andrepresents students. In the event that we decide to go with a name change, ithas to go to Colorado Legislature for approval, which is a whole process init’s own. The senate eventually votes if we choose to make the name change ornot. Mesa State name change didn’t go through until April or May. Juts somerational for a name change there are three reasons. In whatever name we go towe would like Western, University, and Colorado. The first reason is thenational and state landscape. The landscape has changed quite bit CMC offers4year degrees in sustainability and business. Now we have a 2year school thatcan grant a four-year degree, so we want to differentiate ourselves from other two-yearuniversities. Western Colorado Community College, we want to differentiate fromtwo-year schools. Certainly, politically there are things we want to keep upon. Metro State tried last year, but were blocked by Denver University. Nationallythere is a trend to go to University, where it once met a research institution,private schools are making the switch, which we resemble the most.Internationally College represents a high school degree. Certainly we don’t geta lot of international students, if we wanted tot recruit more internationallywe need to change the name. It is about opportunity and timing. Many of you cansee a physical transformation on campus. Our foundation raised 40 milliondollars in the last 10 years; there aren’t many schools that can match what wedo as far as private donations. Taylor renovations, Boric, and Union and changeour campus quite a bit. A state representative from the WETSERN slope was givena tour, those not been to our campus, when you see it through someone else’slenses, and they see the physical attributes on campus, they are blown away.Two graduate programs that have been introduced. Take away by legislation inthe 80’s. Four years ago we were granted to get graduate programs MFA andMaster of teacher education. 30% increase in graduate school at Western,considering of offering ether graduate programs. It is time to consider,because of private funding, and the ability to do more with graduate students.50% of Western State College of Colorado students are in professional programs,which is more in line with a University, we will remain loyal to our liberalarts background, makes each student well rounded. Other programs, like ENVS isthe fastest growing major on campus. The third thing that I want to touch on isWestern State College of Colorado plans for the future, less funding fromstate, 500 million dollar deficit in state budget. Higher education is one ofthe few areas that they can actually go to higher education there and there isa lot of mandated cost that they cannot touch, and higher education is whatthey went after. We want to cultivate diners and private donations. Many peoplevalue Western, more prestige with University. PLMR great success, and startedthrough private donations. We lookat a name change we want to look at expectations of students. The idea is notto publish or parish like at a large university. Many of the faculty isinvolved in research, and some students get to help professors research, changein teaching load, small classes, faculty that want to teach undergraduatestudents. Every 10 years we go through a central accreditation, which is imperativefor us to function, a yearlong process, where we study everything about WSC, involvementcommittee. Taking a close examination of whom we are and where ewe wants to go.Make a campus visitation next September and opus together a report, and make recommendationsof what to do. This is important in pushing WSC as a future, and the timelinefits in well with the name change.

o Iwas wondering how Adams and Mesa went to University, if WSC go to Universitystatus are they bundled with Western Slope College on the decision.

§ Each group has their own governingboard, and they plan to keep this.

o Isthere legislation priority with going to University status?

§ No

§ CU Boulder has more lobbyists andprestige, and is funded at the highest level of the state. We are constrainedby student budgets, but we will not be locked in to anything.

o Wherewill the funds being coming from?

§ The cost associated with the namechange, the money comes out of general fund, which is state allocations, inprocess of cost analysis. What they heard was Adams 100K, Mesa 400K, Mesa dideverything associated a name change. We could be more sustainable, trying tokeep Western.

o Studentswere wondering what you were going to do to know how the students feel.

§ There wasn’t very much feedback. Iwould encourage you as SGA to speak with constituents. Contact Gary or anymembers of the cabinet, open and willing to do that. Let us know, we want toknow more about what you think.

§ Students didn’t know where to go tomake a pull, or nothing to do once they are informed.

· Ifthere is support and sentiment we can do a survey. If you think that’simportant to do.

§ Have there been other college that havedone this and seen success?

· Iam most familiar with private schools and there have been many in the east.It’s a reflection of the need to think of the future and graduate programs,there is a few that completely changed their name, to position them best forthe future. Not outside of the norm, some full changes, some change justUniversity.

§ A lot of two-year colleges inCalifornia have been dropping ‘community’ more nationally, and statewide.

§ There are multiple peer schools, thereare 15 schools that Western is similar too, and they all are called University.

o Isthere any evidence that the name change makes it better?

§ Strategic decision of where they placestudents and have to reflect what the school has to offer. No national study,but individual schools have a choice.

§ One thing we have emphasized, namechange wont cure everything at Western, we presented various initiatives thatWestern is pursuing, and this is just one part, more graduate programs, maybeanother academic program. These are all things we can do to strengthen us tohelp improve recruitment and retention.

o Howdoes the faculty feel about a name change?

§ From my observation, I haven’t heard alot of faculty conversations. The faculty is waiting for data, if there are anyquantities efforts.

o Talkingabout data, what measuring tool are we going to be able to look back andmeasure a change?

§ Some of it will be all of the thingswith the opportunity of making this change, perhaps additional enrollment, orincreased donations a measure of success. It is not just the name change it ishow we are looking to the future. What are we doing to ensure the institutionwill continue?

o Howcan you use the data 82% in favor when you only emailed 6,000 alumni?

§ Go to the board by October 28th,if we want to take this forward need to make a legislation bill, startedlobbying in Denver, we need to make a decision by January to get a sponsor.

§ We have certain windows of opportunity,people told them that Western State College of Colorado would never getgraduate programs, and we went for it and got it. We see a window ofopportunity. How will we know it will work? Think about all the previous namechanges. The move they made in 1923 really helped us now, political realities.We just have to get a pulse, and go with the best we got, we could spend thenext 15 years determining whether we have the correct data.

o Youmentioned that Western is like a small private

§ What about Western is like a privateschool, size, proximity, quality, facilities, and academic quality and staff?We have students from every state, a public college usually gets students fromin state, and we have a student dynamic that is much more like a privateschool. Students come from every state and every county, PhD to undergraduates.Incredible the geographic diversity.

o Whatis the general find usually used for?

§ Operating expenses, salaries, capital,and the money you need to run on a day-to-day basis, 75% is tied up insalaries.

o Reissuingdiploma’s

§ Only for alumni that request that,haven’t thought that far.

o Wouldthere be increase tuition in the name change.

§ Not really similar issues. Tuition’swill go up no matter what because federal government is no longer fundinghigher Ed.

o Dowe want Western to expand?

§ Western can grow, 2,800 would be on theupper end, and 2600 would really strengthen the college and the funding theyprovide. Never want to be a big school, not the style.

§ Constant pressure to grow enrollment. Statelegislature, community, if we don’t see increases than we are in trouble ofbeing cut.

o Youmade points about the great education, and history of liberal arts and thecollege

§ One small part of the equation, nodecision has been made of the name change. Provide opportunities to bring inmore money. If it helps with recruitment that’s also important.

o I’vemet several Western State College of Colorado alumni and the love for it goesanywhere, no matter the name.

o Nick:I wonder what the possible increase in graduate schools would be like?

§ We would have to go through an accreditationprocess, so there would be a lot of faculty input.

o Graduateprograms would never be sacrificed for undergraduate. All goes back intoundergraduate programs, run the programs like private enterprise. Out of 17peer institutions 14 of them are Universities, most of them normal school,state college, and then liberal arts, and then universities. Look ahead towhat’s the organic evolution of higher education.

o Oneof my concerns is how much will this cost, and there might be the assumptionthat it will cost students; which it will not. Forum helps educate students.

o Couldwe take a poll on the Internet to get instant feedback?

§ Certainly, we would take direction fromyou, and that educational piece might want to come along with it.

o Worriedthat we are doing it only because of enrollment, common misconceptions, and whyit would benefit and improve Western.

§ It is very expensive to drive, and inthe end it is cheaper to fly, with a group rate we are trying to get. We areflying out of Denver

o Couldyou get a better deal?

§ Prices are fluctuating; we have foundall sorts of airfare. Mix of upper class and lower class.

o Whatabout upperclassmen

§ There are five upperclassmen going

o Whatfundraising have you done?

§ Department is paying $1000

§ Requesting travel, lodging and sustenance.

o Whatif your stake in this?

§ We have the ability to do a poster talkin this conference. Other students could talk, a way to get our name out there.

o Whatdays are you all looking to travel? The 27th-29th, wewould get there Friday and leave Sunday afternoon. We will be at the conferencethe whole time we are there, no free time. It depends on when we can booktickets, and get estimations from travel agency.

o Howbig is the math department? Will you be attending at all?

§ We currently have 40 declared majorsabout 10 each year; we go to the other conferences each year. We also take agroup to the Mathematical association in Denver.

o Whatif we can’t allocate the funding

§ We all plan on going.

§ Most of funding is coming from the NSFand NSA, we are an academic institution.

· NASCBill-Heritage month is in November, would like to bring in guest speakers.Speak in classes, Ute elder speaking in an anthropology class, and nativeAmerican art history class, which is coming up soon, and Friday evening to allthe students, on Ute heritage and culture. Friday November 18th,prof. from Fort Lewis or from a Tribal judge, speaking to classes and to publicin Taylor auditorium, CALL contributed, art department, and anthropologydepartment, requesting $1,200 to SGA.

· Shayna:What fundraising have you looked into for this?

o Anthropology,art, went to sociology and political science.

· Sarahon Friday evening you said this will be open for everyone,

o Theway the evening lectures go will have suggested donations; a film night gotgenerous donations.

· Funding?

o We’vesecured 3 departments contributions, but only one concrete donation.

· Dowe have a relative time frame of when they will be getting back?

o Intouch, and hoping to hear back soon. We have a small amount, and we have to paythe use of the ballroom, and food. What’s left in our account is $200. The artgrant is secure, and we finalized that today. Waiting on the other two.

· Meg-Yousaid you finalized the $200, and the art department says they have not beeninformed. CCE is not donating anyfunds.

· Whatdo you plan on doing if not allocated the funds?

o Morefundraising, already in the contracts, it’s happening.

· Maddy-Is there anyone in the community that you can outreach to?

o No,that is a good idea. I will get back to you. If departments make a donation, than they will cover the restthemselves.

o Thereis someone coming every week in the month of November. There committed tocoming up here for us. Four prominent departments that may step forward anddonate funding.

IX. Advisor Report

o Nametagslook great. Preview day is next Friday, so it would be ice to have an SGAtable. Family weekend is the following weekend

o ColoradoFreeskier, two premiers, $ 10 or 3/$25 new movie coming out, after party at theLoBar

o Kayla:Regarding the art classes, you are not allowed to take them unless you a major,many students interested in photography and sculpture, wondering on feedback onextended studies. Not would be included in tuition, and would not get creditfor it, pay for them out of pocket, they would try to push this throughextended studies. Other option is Gunnison Art Center. Curriculum group islooking for a student representative; bulk of work is in the fall. Greatcommittee, it’s really interesting, just need one, has to be a senator withGinny Hays and Debra Clark, Tuesdays at 2pm.

o Walker:Free-cycle is now open in the basement of Ute hall; they got a couch in thereyesterday.

o Started in the spring of last year.People didn’t have to throw away they didn’t take home, now a space in bottomof Ute, freshman are taking over, all on a volunteer basis. Spurred from largeruniversities that would make quite a bit of money

o Youcan just donate, or just take, you don’t have to trade

o Flushot at public health $20 between 2-6pm tomorrow

XI. Committee Reports

o Blake-Ifyou have anything to advertise talk to Shawn and advertise things on thescreen.

o Nick-USpro cycle committee challenge

XII. Advisory Reports

o Sarah-Thankyou for the excellent discussion throughout the forum. Just want to reiteratethe board of trustee meeting on October 18th, 9am. I have a report Igive if you want me to say anything. Meet with the steering committee for thefield house, architects are coming in, and hopefully they can get sketches.

o Raleigh-Laststudent forum Tuesday 6:30 pm. Push to get people to the forum.

o Grace-Friday Night Fright if you need volunteer hours & let Grace know. Sent anemail requesting resumes, for self-study of re-accreditation. So send Grace aresume! Also next Thursday night is Honors s’mores night at the fire pit 7pmThursday the 27th.

o Meg-Pathfinderis a magazine that recaps last year events; submission fest is next week, artwork,Quigley 129 tomorrow. 9pm Movie night Taylor auditorium. Convocation 12:30tomorrow Quigley, local ceramic artist is having an art display with snacks. TopWorld wants ideas and events, looking for an editor and chief. Word horde, costumeslams poetry at the wine bar. 3rd November guest speaker at Wordhorde. I am trying to figure out a way to bond these departments, email me withideas.

o Blake-Friday nigh VB game, Saturday XC in Metro, football school of mines in Golden,take them to the game if your portents are in town

o Hayden-Women’srugby at 1pm, means rugby at 2pm against CC. Football coach might play in it(rumor). Lacrosse has a tournament to Fort Lewis this weekend.

o Elijah-Familyweekend MCvicker a combo comedian magician, on family weekend open to everyone.Spoken with front room about PC and SGA, since things are being stolen andbroken to protect resources. During the day, the PC door will be open, andlocked at night

o Noah-Thisweekend we have a rock-climbing trip that is sold out. Family weekend rock-climbingHartman, Taylor, man biking Hartman’s and free for students and family, tableset up in union, first come first serve, provide everything else. Noon sign-upFriday is sign-up.

o Maddy-Wejust got back from Pittsburgh, thank you for the support on going, it was agreat success.